In the past, there has been a desire to regulate the pressure rate of fuel, e.g., gas, for fuel powered devices including, but not limited to, furnaces, heaters, fireplaces, engines, and so forth. One major problem with currently available devices that regulate gas flow is the ability to immediately stop the flow of gas when desired and to prevent any build-up of gas within the device. It is important that this function is accomplished automatically especially during operating anomalies or a power failure. Another problem is that there can be a premature re-establishment of gas flow. Moreover, the ability to provide a consistent and quality output of fuel, e.g., gas, will enhance the performance and fuel efficiency of any fuel powered device that is utilized.
Another problem is that a majority of these devices are directed to regulating a specific type of fuel at one specific pressure. For example, two types of common fluids used as fuels include liquefied petroleum, e.g., liquid, propane, and natural gas. There are major differences between these two fuels since they are supplied to the fuel-powered devices at different pressures and they have different burning characteristics. For example, in a furnace or burner application, the typical pressure value for natural gas is 3.5 inches H2O while the typical pressure value for liquefied petroleum is 10.0 inches H2O. Therefore, a fuel control device that can regulate multiple pressure rates for more than one fuel is strongly desired.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.